


A Promise of Hope

by A_Romantic



Category: Moominvalley (Cartoon 2019), Mumintroll | Moomins Series - Tove Jansson
Genre: Abandonment Issues, Child Abandonment, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Gen, Invisibility, Invisible Snusmumriken | Snufkin, Not that they know it yet, Past Child Abuse, Sibling Bonding, Slight Snufmin later but it's not really important to the story so you can ignore it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-20
Updated: 2019-05-20
Packaged: 2020-03-07 02:05:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,369
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18863521
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_Romantic/pseuds/A_Romantic
Summary: Snufkin has problems.Luckily there are people who can help him through it.





	A Promise of Hope

**Author's Note:**

> I couldn't figure out a summary so you get the only one I could come up with.

It was the harshest winter Ninny had ever seen, and she found herself tracing shapes in the condensation of the windows, doodling exaggerated shapes and watching as the water dripped from her lines, marring her work within seconds of completion.

She didn't mind so much. Some things were temporary, and she could always draw again when the fog on the windows built up again.

"You're goin' ta get oils on the windows from drawin' on 'em."

Ninny turned to Too-Ticky's sister and grinned before drawing a smiley face, earning a fondly exasperated sigh.

"Alright, but you'll have ta clean the smudges."

"Okay." Ninny didn't really like chores, but Too-Ticky's sister was a lot nicer about them than her aunt had ever been. Wiping the windows wasn't a big deal anyway.

She turned, about to start on a rendition of Little My's face, when she noticed a light moving outside. Tugging her sleeve over her hand, she quickly wiped the fog from the window before peering through.

There was a man in a big pointy hat with a wide brim, and he appeared to be holding something along with the lantern. While she couldn't see much details, she could see the way he shook in the cold.

"There's someone out there!" she called, and Too-Ticky's sister started at her shout before hurrying to the door, pulling on her coat, boots, and gloves before heading out into the blizzard, the wind pushing the door open and filling the room with cold air.

Ninny watched through the window as Too-Ticky's sister grabbed the arm of the man, half-leading and half-dragging him to the door. Within moments, the two of them stumbled inside, and Ninny was on her feet, pushing the door closed behind them as best as she could. After a few seconds, she finally managed to slam it shut, turning to see the man had been carrying...nothing?

"Are you suicidal, goin' out in this cold?!" Too-Ticky's sister scolded. "You don't even have gloves on your paws!"

As Too-Ticky's sister continued to tell the man how idiotic he had been, there was a strange breathy sound, and it only took Ninny a moment to see what was wrong.

"Are you carrying someone invisible?" she asked the man, interrupting the tirade. Too-Ticky's sister went silent as he gave a nod.

"Yeah, I tripped over them in the woods," the man said. He looked mildly distressed, though she couldn't be sure if it was from the scolding, the invisible person, or how cold he must be.

The invisible person made the sound again, and Ninny realized that something was wrong with them just as Too-Ticky's sister did.

"Ninny, I'm goin' ta prepare a cot. You help our guests warm up."

"Alright!" Ninny agreed, and she quickly dragged the man over to the fire before hurrying to grab the extra blankets from the closet.

This was certainly unexpected.

* * *

They soon had a cot set up in the living room, and the invisible person was placed in the bed and bundled up in blankets to warm them as best as possible. The man, who they learned was the Joxter, was sat by the fire as Too-Ticky's sister began to interrogate him.

"I was traveling through the woods and I tripped," the Joxter explained as Ninny gave him a cup of coffee. "I was about to walk away when I saw it was just a backpack, then I heard their breathing. This town is the closest to where I found them."

"Well, they're lucky you found 'em before they froze to death," Too-Ticky's sister remarked. "Though that doesn't make you goin' out without proper protection from this weather any better! Where are your gloves?!"

"I have fur on my paws!"

"That fur is not thick enough protection from the snow!"

As the two adults argued, though Ninny was starting to question if adult was a good word for the Joxter, she moved to check on the invisible person.

They were shorter than her, though that was not enough for her to say they were a child like her yet. She couldn't tell much about them at all, except that when she touched their forehead it was burning hot.

"They have a fever!" she called, interrupting the argument.

Too-Ticky's sister frowned. "That explains why they were unconscious outside. Must have been sick for a while. We can keep 'em here 'til they recover." Then, turning to the Joxter with a scowl on her face, she continued, "As for you, you're stayin' right here until I get you proper winter gear. Travelin' alone is bad enough in this weather, but you'd have to be suicidal ta go out without all the necessary preparations. You're lucky you weren't in Moominvalley or the Lady of the Cold would have frozen you in an instant!"

The argument picked back up in full force, and Ninny noticed the blankets shift ever so slightly at the sound of the Joxter hissing, but otherwise not move except with the invisible person's shallow breaths.

* * *

The Joxter finally disappeared a day later, grumbling and hissing but properly bundled up, proving no match for the stubbornness of Too-Ticky's sister. The person on the cot appeared to stay unconscious, though if they woke up no one would have been able to tell. Ninny guessed they might just be too sick to move, remembering a bad fever she had suffered when she was younger that had left her delirious and too ill to even think of getting out of bed.

It was a week after the Joxter had brought them in, with the snow beginning to come down harder than ever, that Ninny went downstairs to see the covers being pushed back and the pillow rising up after having been pressed down for so long.

"Oh, you're awake!" she said, brightening up. "We were getting worried, you know." She hurried down the stairs, about to go to the kitchen when she heard a breathy sound, different from when they bad been coughing. Then, there was the softest of inhales.

She turned, before suggesting, "Two knocks for yes, one for no?"

There was a very brief moment before she heard two very hesitant knocks on the wall.

"Did you not realize you were invisible until just now?" she asked.

There was another two knocks, even softer than the first two, and she nodded.

"Would you like some coffee?" she finally asked, deciding to change the subject, and she was rewarded with two more knocks.

Thank goodness for Moomintroll, she thought to herself as she went into the kitchen, getting to work on the coffee for their guest. She supposed she could say that for a lot of reasons, but right now it was mostly for the reliable system he had created for communicating.

"Do you take your coffee with cream?" she called. There was a single knock, firmer than before, and she added, "What about sugar?" Another knock, and she shrugged before pouring a mug and returning to the cot, holding it out. The person took it, taking a hesitant sip as they did, and Ninny sat quietly for a bit as they proceeded to drink the entire mug.

Eventually, they passed the mug back to her, and she hurried it to the kitchen sink to be cleaned later. Then, another thought occurred to her, and she hurried up the stairs to rummage through her few things, quickly finding what she was looking for and hurrying down it.

"Here," she said, handing them a silver bell with a blue ribbon. "You can wear this when you want to be seen, or not if you don't want to. Whatever you decide." She watched as they looked at the bell, jingling it experimentally before tucking it under the pillow.

It wasn't a refusal, nor a confirmation. It was simply a maybe, and Ninny was fine either way.

"Would you like to be alone then?" Ninny asked, and they knocked twice. She nodded. "Alright. Do you mind if I check on you later? You are still sick, but I promise not to bother you too much." There was a single knock, and she assumed that meant they didn't mind. "Alright. Make sure to rest then!" With that, she went to go make breakfast for herself.

This was good. Even if they weren't in the mood for company, they were awake and responsive. That was already an improvement.

She couldn't assume they were like her, of course. There were probably many reasons someone went invisible, which was probably why Moominmamma's book had simply said, "Listen." She was already familiar with what happened when you assumed you knew best, having watched the Moomins and Little My try and help her get back to herself.

She hoped she could return to Moominvalley later in the year, when everyone was awake and it wasn't so cold. She missed them all, especially Moominmamma and Moomintroll and Too-Ticky, but she was even missing Little My. She had also yet to meet Snorkmaiden and Snufkin as well, and from the way Moomintroll had talked about them she was excited to introduce herself. And she also had to properly get back at Sniff for throwing her out of a chair.

Even if she hadn't known them that long, they were the nicest people she had ever known, and she wanted to see them again.

Just two more months of winter and then she could ask about going back, even if just to visit.

* * *

There was a sort of system that came into existence. While she had worn the bell constantly while she was invisible, save for a few occasions, the person staying with them had taken to wearing it only when they were okay with having some company, which they at first confirmed with knocks when Ninny asked.

Once they were on their feet again without falling out of what Ninny assumed was dizziness, Too-Ticky's sister had made it clear that they should stay until the blizzard died down, giving no room for argument even if they _could_ have argued.

"Are you alright with that?" Ninny asked while they sat by the fire, a little concerned, but with the blanket wrapped around them it was possible to see them shrug before they knocked twice on the floor. "Okay. Hopefully the weather will calm down enough soon."

They knocked twice in agreement, and Ninny smiled.

"Well, you know how to let me know when you need space!"

* * *

Ninny could see one of the blankets from the cot seemingly hovering by the fire as she came down the stairs. It was probably wrapped around the invisible person, and she could also see the back of the blue ribbon that held the silver bell.

She quietly sat by the person, grabbing the poker by the fireplace and carefully poking at the fire. It was quiet for a moment, the two of them just sitting in silence, when music began to play. It was soft at first, almost imperceptible, but Ninny looked over to see the person holding a silver harmonica and playing and gave them a delighted smile, and the music grew stronger until it was just about as loud as a harmonica should be.

It was a very nice song, and when the person finished Ninny applauded.

"That was very good," she told him brightly. Then, after a moment of thinking, "Would you like to use our yes and no system but with the harmonica?"

The harmonica tilted back and forth, as if the person was thinking about it, before it was lifted up and two quick notes were played.

"Alright!" She thought over her many questions, picking one that seemed nice and not intrusive before asking, "So, are you a traveler then?" They played two quick notes, and she nodded. "I thought so. Your backpack looks very full, as if you were planning on being out for a while." They played two more notes, and she smiled. "Hmm...have you been to lots of places?"

There were two quick notes, a pause, and then a single note. Ninny frowned, thinking over it for a bit.

"So, yes and no?" There were two more notes. "Hmm...I suppose that makes sense. The world is a very big place, isn't it? What seems like a lot to us can't really compare?" Two more quick notes.

Suddenly, she thought of another question, and she quickly asked, "Have you ever been to Moominvalley?"

The harmonica jumped in the air, almost as if the person was startled by the question, and there were two notes played.

"That's amazing!" she cried out, delighted. "I used to live there! For a while I stayed with this family, and they were very kind. Well, except for Little My, but that's just how she is."

The harmonica jumped again, and there was a brief moment of quiet before they began to play again, and as Ninny listened she recognized the tune. She had heard Moomintroll hum and whistle it many times while she was staying with the Moomins, but she had first heard it when she still lived with her aunt at the beginning of last spring. In fact, Moomintroll had mentioned it was written by...

Her eyebrows shot up.

"Are you Snufkin?!"

There were another two notes, and there was a small, creeping sense of horror in her as she realized that this was Moomintroll's best friend, and he had completely disappeared. What could have even happened?

She did her best not to let the sadness and horror show, instead stating, "I've heard a lot about you. Mostly from Moomintroll. He talks about you a lot, and very fondly."

The harmonica lowered to what she assumed was Snufkin's lap, and she continued, "I was very excited to meet you the next time I visited. I lived with them after you had gone already, but they all talked about you so pleasantly that I knew you had to be a great person. They all love you a lot. Even Little My seems to dislike you less than most people."

As the harmonica tipped back and forth again, almost thoughtfully, Ninny watched as a pair of brown gloves faded back into existence. Snufkin seemed to notice too, as he tucked the harmonica into an invisible pocket and tugged off the glove, revealing that there was still nothing underneath. He pulled it back on after a few moments, a bit more slowly than before.

"They'll come back," she assured him, giving him a soft, reassuring smile. "It might take a while, but they will."

They were silent for a good long moment, before the gloved hands reached up and pulled the bell off from around Snufkin's neck.

"Alright," Ninny said, nodding in understanding. "Have a good night, Snufkin."

* * *

The next morning, Ninny discovered a green hat by Snufkin's bag, that had not been there the night before.

"Oh," she remarked, surprised. If this was Snufkin's, then it must have reappeared in the night.

She carefully picked it up, heading over to the coat hook, and was just hanging it up when there was a shifting sound from the cot and the slight tinkling of a bell, and she turned to see Snufkin's gloved hands were pulling the bell over his head.

"Your hat reappeared!" she announced, grinning with delight. "It's a good thing we didn't step on it while we couldn't see it. Still, I'm hanging it up for now."

"Thank you."

The way the gloved hands moved, it seemed Snufkin was as startled by his voice as she was, but after her moment of surprise her smile grew even brighter.

"It took me a little longer to get my voice back," she admitted, walking towards the kitchen to prepare something warm to drink. "I'm glad you got your's back so soon. Do you want some coffee?"

There was a brief moment of silence, before Snufkin gave a quiet, "Yes."

Once she had returned with the coffee and a mug of tea for herself, he finally asked, "You were invisible before?"

She nodded. "Yeah. The Moomins and Little My and Too-Ticky all helped me get back to myself though." She laughed a bit. "They didn't really know what to do at first, but they figured it out." She took a sip of her tea and hummed thoughtfully. "I'm glad I met them. Even if Little My is a beast, and even if Moominpappa scared me out of a tree." She snorted. "He thought being invisible was like hiccups apparently? I got my revenge though, so it was all fine."

"That's Moominpappa for you," Snufkin answered, laughing a little. His voice was very soft, clearly not completely back, but Ninny listened carefully. "He can be strange like that."

"He really can," Ninny agreed. "Moominmamma actually gave me the bell you are currently wearing, so that I could decide if I wanted to be seen or not."

"...Huh." One of the gloved hands lifted up the silver bell, rubbing it between their fingers before dropping it again with another tinkling sound.

Ninny thought for a moment, before asking, "What do you like best about Moominvalley?"

The two gloved hands fidgeted slightly, before Snufkin finally said, "I like...that I can choose to be alone or not whenever I want." There was a certain fondness to his voice as he continued, "I can decide whether I want to spend the day with Moomin or go cause chaos with Little My or go on an adventure with them, or I can just stay by myself. It's nice, having the choice. It makes moments of solitude better."

Ninny nodded. "I understand. What else do you like?"

She ended up sitting there for a while, as Snufkin told her her about all the amazing things in Moominvalley. While some she was familiar with, others were completely new, something she had yet to experience since escaping her aunt, and even what she was knowledgeable about seemed brought to life in a new way, described with such fond detail that her desire to go back was stronger than ever.

Eventually, the vivid descriptions transitioned to stories, and she was regaled with tales of Snufkin's adventures in Moominvalley with Little My and Snorkmaiden and Sniff and _especially_ Moomintroll.

"We had thought everything was safe, now that Sniff had put out Moominpappa and Moominmamma's fire, but soon Moomin and I realized the Groke was now following us and our lanterns!"

Ninny gasped, feeling it was appropriate to do so in that moment.

"Thankfully, Moomin came up with a clever idea. He took our lanterns and placed them on the log that had pushed us out onto the beach, before pushing them out to sea. For a brief moment, he and the Groke stared each other down, neither moving before, finally, the Groke turned and followed the log into the ocean, eventually disappearing from sight. And thus, Moominvalley was saved from the Groke!"

She applauded as he finished, pretending not to notice as Snufkin's socks faded into existence. "That was amazing! You and Moomintroll are both very clever!"

"Thank you," Snufkin answered. "And I suppose we should give Sniff credit for putting out the fire, even if he was unnecessarily dramatic about it."

"I suppose we should," Ninny agreed, though she frowned at the thought. "Sniff actually threw me out of a chair once, while I was still invisible."

"What?" Snufkin's voice was shocked.

Ninny giggled. "He didn't realize I was more than just a set of clothes. Really, it was rude of him, but it's funny in hindsight. Moomintroll told me that he panicked and threw himself out the window when I ran upstairs after the fright, thinking I was a ghost haunting the clothes."

He gave a bit of a snort at that. "That does sounds like Sniff."

The two of them laughed for a bit, before sitting in comfortable silence. As Ninny was just about to ask if he wanted more coffee, Snufkin spoke again.

"Why did you go invisible?"

His voice was soft, almost as if he was afraid of overstepping his bounds. Ninny didn't really mind though.

"I was raised by my aunt," she explained softly. "Well...she wasn't really my aunt. She was a Hemulen woman, and she was...not nice." She fingers tugged and pulled at the hem of her dress, and she remembered her aunt's snide remarks and cruelty with vicious clarity. "She made me feel...small. Like I wasn't worth the effort of her taking care of me. Whenever she saw me, she would make me feel so terrible that I...I eventually didn't want to be seen." She pulled her knees up to her chest. "I sent a letter out, asking for help, and it was Too-Ticky who found me. She helped me escape the house, and was leading me through the forest when we got separated. It was Moomintroll who found me then."

"...I'm sorry."

She gave him a small smile. "It's okay. It's not your fault. It...it does still hurt sometimes. But...I want to be seen now. I like that I am no longer just the scapegoat for my aunt to rail against. I can make mistakes and be silly and have fun, and she isn't there to ruin it."

"Still...I imagine it can't be easy."

"It's not," Ninny agreed. "It took me awhile to come back completely, and sometimes my fingers will go misty on bad days. I don't think it's something that ever just goes away."

Snufkin was silent for a long moment.

"Thanks for listening," Ninny quietly added. "Talking about it helps me a lot."

"No problem." He set his mug down on the floor before his gloved hands moved to pull the blue ribbon over his head. "I'd like to be alone now, if that is fine?"

"Of course," Ninny agreed. She grabbed the two empty mugs and left him to sit on his coy.

A tiny part of her wondered if she said something wrong, but she shook the thought away.

Snufkin was already stuck inside for the time being, due to the heinous blizzard outside, and he clearly liked being alone. He wouldn't wear the bell at all if he didn't want her company every so often.

His clothes were coming back too. Somehow, talking about Moominvalley and the Moomins and Little My was helping him, even if just on the surface.

Ninny was doing what she could, and that was good enough.

* * *

Snufkin had a lot of stories of Moominvalley, and sometimes Too-Ticky's sister would join Ninny in listening as he told his adventures. At one point, he began to play his harmonica, when Too-Ticky's sister pulled out a guitar in a silent invitation. The two had and improvised and wonderful duet, and Ninny didn't know any instruments but she made up nonsense lyrics to tunes they created and sang along, and sometimes the three of them would laugh at particularly silly lyrics when they finished.

Snufkin also spent a lot of time without the bell too. He would sit by the fire or play a somber tune or even just remain on the cot, not moving, and Ninny and Too-Ticky's sister would keep their distance during those moments. If Snufkin wanted to talk, he would. They respected that.

"I imagine he'll be outta here the moment the weather permits," Too-Ticky's sister noted. "He doesn't seem like one to stay in one place for long this time of year."

Ninny nodded. Snufkin, who had taken to wearing his hat when he wasn't in bed, would often have his head turned to the windows, as if he would jump right through them if he could. This winter was terrible enough, and she imagined he couldn't wait to just  _run_.

"I'm puttin' together some supplies," Too-Ticky's sister continued. "Things better for handlin' this climate. If he's goin' ta be out in that cold once it stops snowing so heavily, l'd rather he actually be prepared for it."

"Yeah. Me too."

Ninny heard the tinkling of a bell from downstairs, and she gave Too-Ticky's sister a smile before hurrying down to see Snufkin sitting on the cot, the blue ribbon settled around his neck.

"Do you want to hear the story of the comet?" Snufkin asked, and Ninny grinned at the suggestion.

The two moved to the fire, and as Snufkin regaled her with the story of meeting Moomintroll and Sniff for the first time and traveling with them to the observatory, Ninny pretended not to notice the way his pants had appeared from his ankles to his knees.

It was just his clothes, but Ninny celebrated each bit of progress as if it had been his face that had appeared. Even if it was just superficial, it was something, and she had to give him hope that he would come back completely.

* * *

Ninny dropped a stack of square colored paper between them the next time she saw Snufkin by the fire with the bell on.

"What's this?" He asked. While the rest of him had yet to appear, his clothes had mostly returned. His sleeves and pants legs were there now, though they faded the closer they grew to the center of his body. Sharing stories about himself and his friends in Moominvalley had done him good it seemed.

"Origami paper," Ninny explained cheerfully. "You can fold it into all sorts of things. Too-Ticky's sister showed me how."

"Oh!" Snufkin's hat moved slightly, non indicative of any gesture, but his voice seemed pleasantly surprised. "I've seen origami while traveling, but I've never thought about making my own before."

"Well it can be pretty difficult," Ninny admitted, taking a piece of red paper from the top. "I can only do lotuses and swans right now. But I can show you how to make them?"

Snufkin's hat bobbed again as he tugged his gloves off and took a green paper from the stack with an invisible hand, and she showed him how to fold a lotus flower step-by-step. Neither of their flowers looked perfect by the end, but Ninny was proud of their handiwork and held up her hand for a high five and smiled brightly when Snufkin gave her one.

"I like making these the most," Ninny admitted. "I know they are pretty simple, but I think they are nice, and I like to write messages inside sometimes."

"Really?" Snufkin's hat tilted thoughtfully. "What kind of messages?"

Ninny blushed in embarrassment and fidgeted. "Just...things I need to remind myself occasionally. Like...that I'm good enough, and I deserve to be seen and acknowledged. Things that make me feel better."

"Oh." Snufkin's voice was soft. "That...that's good."

The two were silent for a moment, and Ninny grabbed another paper, this one light blue, and beginning to fold again. Snufkin followed suit, and his folds were less clumsy and unsure this time as he did. After a few more lotuses, Snufkin spoke.

"You...you thought you didn't deserve to be seen?"

Ninny nodded quietly. "Yeah, for a long time. And it...it felt easier to be invisible, when I lived with my aunt. If she couldn't see me, she wouldn't be able to say something awful to me. It wasn't until I had people who actually cared that I realized that...that I should be seen. That I wanted to be, and I wasn't going to let anyone make me feel like I should be invisible again. But still, sometimes I need the reminder."

"Huh..."

Ninny looked up at him, before asking, "It's not the same for you?"

The hat turned side-to-side, and she remained silent as she waited for Snufkin to decide if he wanted to speak.

"...There's a difference between being alone and being lonely," he quietly explained, his invisible hands taking another colored paper and beginning to fold it. "You can be alone and not feel lonely, and you can be surrounded by people and feel more lonely than you've ever felt before."

Ninny nodded, understanding.

"I...I had a tail," Snufkin continued. "I only remember seeing it once, just barely, when I was really small. It disappeared after that."

She blinked with surprise at the admission, but didn't say anything to interrupt as he continued.

"I lived in a home with a lot of other children and two caretakers when I was small. The others...they all had parent memories. Some of those parents were like your aunt. Some of them were neglectful. Some were kind and good but dead. But I...I didn't have any at all. The caretakers...they eventually told me I was found in a basket. And I realized that my parents...they hadn't wanted me."

That...that was upsetting, and Ninny couldn't imagine coming to that conclusion when you were just a little kid. But she herself had realized her aunt didn't care about her when she was little, so in a way she understood.

"Eventually, I woke up one morning to find everyone gone," Snufkin continued, his voice quiet and solemn. "There was a note in the kitchen, explaining that the caretakers had left with their two favorite children. I quickly realized the other kids had scattered, but...none had even woken me up. They left me behind."

He was silent for a good long moment, before in a voice that was almost a whisper, he added, "And I realized that no one wanted me."

Ninny didn't speak, didn't do anything as Snufkin abandoned his lotus, leaving it only partially folded as he pulled his knees up and wrapping his arms around himself.

"I went invisible back then too," he admitted. "I thought...what was the point? If everyone was going to leave me behind and forget me...then what was the point of being seen? Being invisible was easier." He took a hesitant deep breath, before continuing. "I...did come back after that. Mostly, at least. It was hard trying to get supplies and other things while invisible. My paws and my tail remained gone though. Then...the comet happened..."

He was silent for a while, and Ninny waited patiently for him to find his words again.

"When I had to leave Moominvalley that first time, Moomintroll asked me if I would come back the next spring," Snufkin admitted quietly. "I promised I would. And...I kept my promise. I figured...it wasn't as if they'd remember me, or that they'd care. I'd just say hi and then be off again. But...Moomin was waiting for me at the bridge. The moment he heard me playing, he had jumped up and called out with excitement."

His voice went hopelessly fond at that, and Ninny couldn't help the smile that came to her face at that.

"It wasn't just him," he continued. "Moominmamma and Moominpappa, Snorkmaiden and her brother, even Sniff....they all remembered me. They all wanted me to be there." His voice was very soft, and Ninny was almost worried he was losing it again. "I ended up staying longer than I had planned. And one day I took off my gloves to wash my hands...and they were back. I didn't leave until fall after that. And my tail didn't reappear, but I thought...it was fine, wasn't it?"

"...But it wasn't, was it?" Ninny asked, her voice very quiet.

"...I'm still afraid," he admitted. "I...I don't...I don't think I'm a very good friend. And one day...they'll realize that. I've ditched Moomin at events and arrived late and...and I've even considered not going back. But...but I don't want to stop going every spring. And I don't want them to forget me, even if...if I think they will someday."

"...Can I hug you?"

Snufkin was silent, before lowering one of his arms and knocking twice against the floor, and Ninny moved carefully around the paper lotuses on the floor and wrapped her arms around him, not saying anything about the tears as she did.

She held him for a while, allowing his face to dry and his breaths to even out to a normal pace, before finally releasing him and saying, "Hold on for just a moment."

She ran upstairs, snatching a pencil from her desk before running downstairs and taking the light blue lotus she had folded, writing a tiny message in the center before holding it out for Snufkin.

"Keep this," she told him firmly. "I...I can't promise no one will ever forget you...but this can help you remember that you aren't forgotten, because I promise that _I_  won't forget you."

He took the lotus, and it appeared to hover in the air as he read the message inside. "...Thank you." He didn't seem to notice that his sleeves and pants legs grew longer, enough that she could see the ends of a green coat and his shoulders.

As an afterthought, Ninny took one of the lotuses that Snufkin had folded, the first imperfect green one, and added, "I can keep this too, if it'll help. That way, I can look at it and I'll be sure to remember you. Is that alright?"

The hat bobbed in the air, and Ninny smiled, offering him the flower and the pencil. He wrote a quick message in the center of the lotus before passing both back.

Ninny tucked the pencil behind her ear and the lotus in her pocket, and she watched as he did the same with his lotus before asking, "Would you like me to show you how to fold a swan?"

His hat bobbed, and there were two knocks on the floor, and she guessed he must not feel like speaking anymore.

That was alright. He could talk when he was ready.

* * *

"I've got some things for you," Too-Ticky's sister said to Snufkin, carrying over a stack of items to the cot. Ninny watched from the kitchen as coffee brewed and tea steeped. "They're more appropriate for this weather."

Snufkin held up what looked like two tennis rackets with straps on them. "What are these?"

"Snow shoes," Too-Ticky's sister explained, looking amused at his confused expression. "Strap 'em to your boots and you'll be able ta walk on top of the snow."

"Oh." Snufkin shrugged. "I've never used these before. I usually get further south before the snow gets this bad."

"Well they should make travelin' wherever you're goin' a bit faster. The snow looks like it is finally lightening up, and I expect you'll be off soon as you can."

Snufkin's hat bobbed, and Ninny called out, "We'll miss having you around!" from the kitchen. Once the coffee and tea was done she poured the coffee into two mugs and carried them and her mug of tea to the living area.

The three of them sat in comfortable silence by the fire, sipping their drinks, until finally Snufkin said, "Thank you both for the help."

"It was no trouble," Too-Ticky's sister assured him. "My door's always open ta those who need it. You're welcome ta stay here if you come by durin' your travels."

"I appreciate the offer."

After their mugs were emptied, Snufkin pulled his harmonica from his now visible pocket, and he began to play a tune. Ninny listened to the bittersweet sound, and a small smile came as Too-Ticky's sister joined on guitar. She added no words to the song this time, merely humming along.

It was a nice experience.

When they were done playing, and Snufkin had taken the bell off again, Ninny was heading to her room when she stopped Too-Ticky's sister on the stairs.

"When the weather is warmer, can we go to Moominvalley?"

"I don't see why not," Too-Ticky's sister answered. "I imagine you must be missin' it a lot, aren't you?"

Ninny nodded, and she grinned happily at the confirmation. "Thank you!"

With that, she hurried upstairs, already excited to be able to go back.

* * *

Ninny woke up to hear the front door shut, and she hurried downstairs to see that the sun shining through the windows, and a letter and the bell on the ribbon where Snufkin's pack had been.

She picked up the letter and scanned it quickly, before grinning to herself and hurrying to pull her boots and coat on, stepping outside to see Snufkin walking down the road, his clothes now fully visible. He was even wearing the snow shoes he had been given.

"Snufkin!" she called, and she saw him turn.

Ninny decided she wouldn't say goodbye. That was too final, and she wanted him to be certain she wouldn't forget him, that she wouldn't leave him behind. She wanted to make sure he knew she'd keep her promise that she put in the lotus flower.

So instead, she waved and shouted, "See you in Moominvalley!"

He looked at her for a bit, before calling back, "See you there!" He then hesitated before waving back, then turned and continued down the path away from Too-Ticky's sister's house.

Once he had disappeared into the woods, Ninny turned and went back inside, putting her boots and coat back in place before going upstairs.

On the table beside her bed, there were many origami paper lotuses, each with a message inside, and she picked up the sloppy green one and read the cursive message inside, smiling as she did.

_You deserve to be heard._

She would certainly never forget Snufkin now.

* * *

_Dear Ninny,_

_Thank you for all your help while I was staying with you. Your company was a big help, and I'm glad you enjoyed my stories._

_I appreciate you and your caretaker leaving me alone when I needed it, and it made the days stuck inside bearable. And I also appreciate the lotus flower you gave me, and I promise I will carry it with me during my travels._

_I've decided to head back to Moominvalley early this year. Even if no one is awake, I think being there might help. I guess there is no way to know for sure until I get there._

_When spring comes, I'll tell everyone you said hi. I'm sure they all miss you too._

_Hope to see you in the future._

_Snufkin_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There was no Ninny and Snufkin friendship tag btw, so I had to make it myself. Which was annoying, but suffering is a part of life I guess.
> 
> Anyway, so this is me jumping on the Invisible Snufkin bandwagon. Everyone focuses on different reasons for it, so I chose to incorporate his OG backstory and gave him abandonment issues, which also work well with the fact that he canonically has nightmares about Moomintroll forgetting about him and moving on to someone else.
> 
> Hope you guys enjoyed this so far. I really hope my characterization of Ninny amd Snufkin was decent, as well as my brief Joxter cameo (I'm not worried about Too-Ticky's sister as I just made up a character for her). Let me know what you think?


End file.
